The Duneland Chamber of Commerce will be hosting a release party and book signing event on Thursday, September 12 from 6pm-8pm at Riley’s Railhouse in historic downtown Chesterton (123 4th Street). The event will celebrate the release of Don Drummond: The Genius and Tragedy of the World's Greatest Trombonist. Written by Chesterton native Heather Augustyn (contributing editor for Duneland Today Magazine and correspondent for Shore Magazine and The Times Media Company), this book is a carefully researched account of Jamaican trombonist Don Drummond - one of the world's greatest influencers of ska, reggae, and popular music.
Following two years of extensive research, travel to Jamaica, and discovery of previously unreleased source material, Augustyn was able to chart Don Drummond's rise to the zenith of Jamaica's music scene; his tumultuous love affair with "The Rhumba Queen" Margarita; and his rapid descent into schizophrenia - an illness which turned him into a murderer and eventual tenant of the Bellevue Mental Hospital. Augustyn interviewed the former Jamaican Prime Minister P.J. Patterson in his office in Kingston, as well as dozens of others who informed Drummond’s musical evolution.
Hors d'oeuvres and champagne will be served during this special Duneland Chamber of Commerce Ribbon Cutting and Book Signing event. Augustyn will be present to sign copies of her book, which was recently published by McFarland Publishing. Guests may purchase personalized copies during the event, or may pre-purchase from www.amazon.com, www.mcfarlandpub.com or www.skabook.com.
Augustyn is also author of Ska: An Oral History, McFarland 2010 and Ska: The Rhythm of Liberation, Scarecrow Press 2013. Augustyn’s work has appeared in national publications, including The Village Voice, In These Times, and The Humanist. She lives with her husband and two boys in Chesterton, Indiana. The favor of an RSVP is requested by Tuesday, September 10. Please click the link below, call 219.926.5513, or send a message to Allyson Baughman at abaughman@dunelandchamber.org.
The Duneland Chamber of Commerce is a catalyst organization committed to ensuring that its member communities are vibrant places to live, work and play. Through service to the towns of Beverly Shores, Burns Harbor, Chesterton, Dune Acres and Porter, the Chamber provides a unified voice for robust community-building events, meaningful educational programming and smart economic development in the Duneland area. For more information, please visit www.dunelandchamber.org.